Responding officers were unable to find the assailant, described as a Hispanic man in his early 30s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds. He had short brown hair, a mustache and was wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, hiking boots and black backpack. Police said he spoke Spanish to the victim.

The popular trail is near the Griffith Observatory.

"It's kind of surprising to hear," said another hiker, Jung Warren. "It's kind of busy."